MONGOLIA

COUNTRY PROFILE

Contents:

1. General Information

2. Geography and climate

3. Natural and manmade disasters

4. Disaster management system

National Emergency Management Agency as a disaster management focal point

5. Process on implementation of Hyogo framework for action

6. Legal system and framework

7. Challenges in Disaster Risk

8. Latest disaster occurred in Mongolia

9. On-going projects implemented by NEMA or International Organizations.

10. Budget Size on National Level

11. ADRC counterpart

1. General Information

Mongolia is a landlocked country in East and Central Asia. It is bordered by Russia to the north

and the People's Republic of China to the south, east and west. Ulaanbaatar city is the capital

and largest city, which is home to about 38% of the population. Mongolia is the 19th largest and

the most sparsely populated independent country in the world, with a population of around 2.9

million people. It is also the world's second-largest landlocked country after Kazakhstan. The

country contains very little arable land, as much of its area is covered by steppes, with mountains

to the north and west and the Gobi Desert to the south. Approximately 30% of the populations are

nomadic or semi-nomadic. Mongolia is a parliamentary republic. The parliament is elected by the

people and in turn elects the government. The president is elected directly. The constitution

guarantees full freedom of expression, religion, and others. Mongolia has a number of political

parties, the biggest ones being the Mongolian People's Party and the Democratic Party. Mongolia

is divided into 21 aimags (provinces), which are in turn divided into 329 sums (districts). The

capital Ulaanbaatar is administrated separately as a khot (municipality) with provincial status.

Economy is centered on agriculture and mining. Mongolia has rich mineral resources, and copper,

coal, molybdenum, tin, tungsten, and gold account for a large part of industrial production.

In terms of the administrative system, The Mongolian Government‟s regulatory agency – the

National Emergency Management Agency – has the duty to conduct nationwide activities for

disaster protection. All the 21 provinces and the capital city have its emergency management

divisions and department.

2. Geography and climate

The geography of Mongolia is varied with the Gobi Desert to the south and with cold and

mountainous regions to the north and west. At 1,564,116 km2 (603,909 sq mi), Mongolia is the

world's 19th-largest country. It is significantly larger than the next-largest country, Peru. It mostly

lies between latitudes 41° and 52°N (a small area is north of 52°), and longitudes 87° and 120°E.

Much of Mongolia consists of steppes. The highest point in Mongolia is the Khuiten Peak in the

Tavan bogd massif in the far west at 4,374 m (14,350 ft). The basin of the lake Uvs lake, shared

with Tuva Republic in Russia, is a natural World Heritage Site. Most of the country is hot in the

summer and extremely cold in the winter, with January averages dropping as low as −30 °C

(−22 °F).

The country is also subject to occasional harsh climatic conditions known as Dzud. Ulan Bator

has the lowest average temperature of any national capital in the world. Mongolia is high, cold,

and windy. It has an extreme continental climate with long, cold winters and short summers,

during which most of its annual precipitation falls. The country averages 257 cloudless days a

year, and it is usually at the center of a region of high atmospheric pressure.

It experiences a continental climate, with hot summers (temperature up to 410 C) and cold

winters (temperatures to -53o C). Diurnal temperature changes too can be very large. Rainfall is

relatively low, varying from 5 cm in the southern desert region, to 40 cm in mountain areas. 80 to

96 % of precipitation falls in the warm period from April to October. In the south, significant rainfall

begins in July.

About 40 % of the country is ~ 40 % hills (1000-1500m), and the remainder denotation plain. The

landscape includes alpine, mountain taiga, forest steppe, steppe, Gobi, and desert regions.

Rivers draining to the south and west terminate in inland lakes/salt lakes.

Crop growing season is short, 70 to 130 days; depending on location and altitude Unseasonable

frosts can destroy up to 30 % of crops. Crops are mainly root crops, wheat, garden

vegetables,(including greenhouse vegetables near Ulaanbaatar) and hay fodder. The main

agricultural production is animal husbandry with herds of cattle, sheep, horses, camels, and goats.

Wind speeds are often high, with dust and sand storms 40 days per year over a large part of the

country, and in some regions over 100 days per year.

3. Natural and manmade disasters

A natural disaster is a natural phenomenon or phenomena occurred covering relatively large

territories and leading to human casualties or substantial damages to property and causing

thereby serious obstacles to smooth operation of the society. Identification of the natural disaster

is not only depends upon its intensity but much more upon its socio-economic and ecological

consequences. In this view of point, the issue of natural disaster shall be considered in

association with the social economic situation at the level of a given country‟s development, the

people‟s life styles, infrastructure development, etc. For example, the phenomenon of so called

“Dzud” (severe winter conditions) when pastures are snow-drifted due to heavy snowfalls taken

place in winter-spring seasons is referred to the category of natural disaster only under the

conditions of our country with its transhumance cattle-breeding economy and would not be

regarded as a natural disaster in any other countries with the settled type of civilization. A strong

earthquake occurred in a desert place without human settlements is not disastrous for Mongolia

whereas if it takes place in any other country with densely populated areas it would cause heavy

losses and casualties which occurs rather frequently.

In Mongolia, there are occurred major and small disasters regularly as a result of Drought, Dzud,

Severe Snow and Dust Storm, Flood, Forest and Steppe Fires, Earthquake, Desertification,

Object Fires, Epidemic, Epizootic, Hazardous Vegetative Disease or spreading of Detrimental

Rodents, Bird Flu, Traffic accidents as well as Explosives, and increased the number and

frequency of disasters. These disasters cause huge number of damages to human life, their

properties and environment and influence to the state social and economic sustainable

development negatively.

Chart: 1 Natural and manmade disasters in Mongolia

4. Disaster Management System

The National Emergency Management Agency as a disaster management focal point

The National Emergency Management Agency‟s main duties are to develop legislative

environment on disaster protection, to provide strategic management, to evaluate disaster risk

Classification Type Disasters

Natural Disasters Climatic hazardous phenomena Snow storm

Severe snowfall

Dzud

Dust storm

Flood

Steppe and forest fire

Desertification

Thunderstorm

Geological threats Earthquake

Landslides

Biological threats Spread of detrimental rodents

Human infectious diseases

Livestock or animal infectious diseases

Manmade Disasters

Technological accidents Industrial accidents

Traffic accidents

Leakage of chemical and radiological substances

Explosion

Building fire

Social Public disorder

Terrorist attack

and vulnerability, to implement activities on disaster prevention, disaster reduction, disaster

preparedness in all levels, organizing search and rescue work, response, restore main

infrastructures and rehabilitation, strengthening capacity of national disaster protection,

cooperation with foreign countries and international organizations in disaster protection field,

monitoring laws and legislations, and implementation policy on state reserve. And responsible for

coordinating the activities of different stakeholders who involves in the disaster response

including non-governmental or governmental organizations and private sectors, community

groups and the international organizations.

The capacity of National Emergency Management Service: Emergency management department and divisions -22 Fire brigade –41 Rescue sub-unit -10 • State reserve branches -32 • Research Institute of Emergency Management organization -1 • Rescue Specialized Unit –1 • Supply and Procurement Unit -1 The State Disaster Protection Service –11 (group –37, state serviceman -3068) • Local Disaster Protection Service in 21 territorial unit –198 (serviceman -594) • Part time professional team –1981 (servants 44866) Total number of servants: • Full time –3148 • Part time -48528

Chart: 2 Organizational Structure of National Emergency Management Agency of Mongolia

CHIEF Office for State Emergency Commission

Deputy Chief Deputy Chief

Administrative Department

Disaster Management Department

Fire Fighting Department

State Reserve and Recovery Department

Department of Financial and Logistic Services

Po

licy,

Pla

nn

ing,

Mo

nit

ori

ng

and

Ass

essm

ent

Div

isio

n

Hu

man

Res

ou

rce

Div

isio

n

Fore

ign

Re

lati

on

Div

isio

n

Pu

blic

Rel

atio

n D

ivis

ion

Emer

gen

cy M

anag

emen

t an

d

Co

ord

inat

ion

of

Po

licy

Imp

lem

enta

tio

n

Div

isio

n

Co

mm

un

icat

ion

, In

form

atio

n a

nd

Tech

no

logy

Div

isio

n

Trai

nin

g an

d P

ub

lic A

war

ene

ss D

ivis

ion

Fire

Fig

hti

ng,

Pre

ven

tio

n a

nd

Insp

ecti

on

Div

isio

n

Fire

Fig

hti

ng

Div

isio

n

Stat

e R

ese

rve

Div

isio

n

War

eho

use

Ser

vice

an

d T

ech

no

logi

cal

Co

ntr

ol D

ivis

ion

Fin

anci

al a

nd

Eco

no

mic

Po

licy

Pla

nn

ing

Div

isio

n

Pro

cure

men

t D

ivis

ion

Mo

tor

Dep

ot

5. Implementation of Hyogo framework for action

Mongolia recognizes and approves the Framework for Action 2005-2015: Building the Resilience

of Nations and Communities to Disaster, adopted by the World Conference on Disaster Reduction

which was held from 18 to 22 January 2005 in Kobe, Hyogo, Japan and focuses its activities to

reduce disaster risk at the national level.

The National Emergency Management Agency of Mongolia has been organizing the following

activities in the field of disaster risk reduction connecting with the above mentioned disaster

situation and disaster response changes in the international arena.

1. The Parliament of Mongolia adopted the Law on Disaster Protection in 2004, and following

the Law there are established the National Emergency Management Agency of Mongolia, merged

the State Board for Civil Defence, Fire Fighting Department and State Reserve Agency.

According to the Law on Disaster Protection, NEMA is responsible for the implementation of the

State disaster protection policy and legislation, as well as for the professional organization of

nationwide activities. The Member of the Government of Mongolia directs the disaster protection

activities at the state level. Basically, disaster protection legal environment and implementation

structure of disaster management were completed.

2. National Emergency Management Agency of Mongolia developed National Platform for

Strengthening Disaster Protection Capacity of Mongolia 2006-2015 cohered with the Hyogo

Framework for Action 2005-2015.

3. National Emergency Management Agency of Mongolia pays attention to define and assess

disaster risk, monitor it and improve early warning system. Besides, we developed Procedure on

Disaster assessment and approved it by the Government of Mongolia. Draft of Early warning

system was developed and it has been submitted to foreign countries.

4. Legislative environment of the coordination for capacity activity was created. According to

the resolution of the Government of Mongolia, ministries and agencies, which have main roles

using the professions and support in the possible disaster period or disaster period, were

appointed. Also in local area, disaster services were established and disaster protection tasks,

recommendations and instructions were given to the community accordance with the resolutions

of local administrator.

5. Some amendments were included in the Disaster Preparedness Plan in order to make

disaster response immediately. All levels of the local preparedness plans were renovated and

they have revision plans. In the national level, activity for the renovating disaster preparedness

plan has been begun. During the local command stuff exercise, we take into account possibility of

the preparedness plan implementation and its practice.

6. We take into account increasing community participation in the disaster protection activity.

The understanding of the word “Volunteer” was defined in the Law on Disaster Protection.

National Emergency Management Agency of Mongolia is implementing the UNDP Project

“Strengthening the Disaster mitigation and management system in Mongolia” and in the

framework of the project, the commencement of the developing disaster management on the

base of local community for supporting community initiative was made. Policy on disaster

management on the base of local community was included in the Action Plan of the Government

of Mongolia.

7. We take into account giving disaster protection education to the community so that

according to the Law on Disaster Protection, disaster protection training is being organized. We

organize the disaster management training to students of colleges and universities.

8. National Emergency Management Agency is carrying out to strengthen partnership and

cooperation with national organizations as well it is pursuing the policy of establishing extensive

cooperation with the concerned organizations of various countries and international organizations

in the disaster protection field.

9. We carry the policy to be included risk into the insurance. We have begun developing the

draft of the Law on Disaster Insurance with the Insurance organization.

10. The United Nation Disaster Assessment and Coordination (UNDAC) team worked to

assess the situation of disaster preparedness in Mongolia and gave us 33 recommendations to

improve disaster preparedness.

6. Legal system and framework

The role of the National Emergency Management Agency of Mongolia is defined primarily by four

basic laws: 1) The Law on Disaster Protection, 2) Law on Fire Safety, 3) Law on Forest and

Steppe Fire Protection and 4) The Law on State Reserve. It is through these four major laws and

other emergency directives that NEMA will be called on to provide oversight, coordination and

direct assistance in the event of a major catastrophe.

Amended Laws:

•Law on Government of Mongolia;

•Law on Management and Financing of State Agency;

•Law on State service;

•Law on Pension and Benefits of Military Serviceman etc.

The Earthquake Preparedness plan has been developed by the National Emergency

Management Agency of Mongolia and the National Research Center of Astronomy and

Geophysics, and approved by the Government in 2010.

Legal Documents:

•On implementation activities of Law on Disaster Protection

•On Establishment of State Disaster Protection Service

•On Approving Personnel of State Emergency commission and its activities

•On Emergency service day

•Program on Strategy and Structure changes of NEMA

•Rule of NEMA

•Rule of Internal Affairs of NEMA

•Regulation on Guard service of NEMA

•Regulation on Parade

•Regulation on Discipline etc.

About 40 legal documents were adopted by Parliament of Mongolia and Minister of Mongolia.

7. Challenges in Disaster Risk

Responding to a complex disaster such as an 8+ earthquake will present challenging issues for

NEMA and the Mongolian emergency response system that in all probability have not been

experienced before. Communications, emergency response and information assets will be

required to function under the most demanding of situations. Information will be very uncertain.

Traditional means of communications may not exist and emergency response assets will be

hampered by the earthquake.

- Lack of coordination between NEMA and other stakeholders.

- Language challenges (English, Russian) of the personnel.

- Retrofitting of the National level earthquake disaster preparedness plan

- Strengthening of the capacity of public awareness raising activities.

8. Latest disasters occurred in Mongolia

1. Dzud (Severe winder disaster)

Mongolia has one of the coldest climates in the world, with temperatures dropping below -20ºC for

several months each year. During 2009/10, Mongolia faced its most severe winter in nearly five

decades, which has been extremely harsh even by Mongolian standards, has resulted in

increased maternal and child mortality, and an unprecedented loss of livestock and the collapse

of thousands of people‟s livelihoods and many basic services. The disaster is known locally as a

Dzud which is a complex, long-lasting natural disaster in which a summer drought is followed by

heavy snowfalls and unusually low temperatures in winter, and then by a dangerous spring thaw.

Fifteen of Mongolia‟s 21 provinces, home to 769,106 people (28% of the country‟s population),

have been declared disaster zones, and another four are seriously affected.

Although the winter months are over, heavy snowfall and sub-zero temperatures persist in many

areas, prolonging and intensifying the suffering for both people and their livestock. The affected

population is suffering from a range of factors caused by the Dzud, including lack of access to

health care, widespread food insecurity, loss of livelihoods, risk of a mass exodus of people from

rural areas to the cities in search of alternative employment, and psychological trauma for

affected herders and their families.

The thick snow cover has also meant that livestock, vital to the lives and livelihoods of a

significant proportion of Mongolia‟s population, have been unable to graze. Taken together with

the summer drought, which prevented the collection of adequate amounts of forage, and with the

extreme cold, this has resulted in widespread deaths of animals and in a range of serious

consequences for the people who depend on them. By the end of April 2010, more than 9.1

million head of livestock (some 25% of all Mongolia‟s livestock) had perished nation-wide. The

loss of livestock, as well as a falling livestock birth rate, has had a devastating impact on affected

herders and rural communities. The livestock sector provides livelihoods for 30% of Mongolia‟s

population and represents 16% of the country‟s gross domestic product. At the end of May 2010,

almost 9,000 households (45,000 people) have been left without animals.

Over 50 percent of rural Mongolians live in poverty. Families have grown increasingly vulnerable

due to the lack of energy sources for heating, warm clothing, food supplies and access to basic

services. Fiscal constraints have caused the retraction of welfare benefits such as „child money‟,

upon which many rely to provide for their families. Unlike sudden onset disasters, the Dzud‟s

impact has escalated over months, forcing an increasingly weakened population to battle for day-

to-day survival with diminishing food stocks, income and health status. Its impacts will further

unfold through the spring and summer seasons, as flooding, displacement and mass migration

generate further hardship.

2. Forest and steppe fire cases: as of 2009-2010

Mongolia has a 1.5 hundred thousand km2 of territory and most of the territory is steppe and Gobi

desert. Nomadic life style and agriculture is a traditional and most popular way of living and

steppe and forest fires causes huge damages to the pasture field which can significantly affect

the livestock and livelihood of the herder families. According to the statistics of last 10 years,

about 2400 of hazardous phenomena and accidents occurred annually causing the death of more

than 160 people and the loss of 65 billion MNT or about 3 percent of Mongolian GDP. Among

them, 60 percent of these losses are caused by forest and steppe fire which is a human induced

disaster.

Please see below the fire cases and losses as of 2009-2010.

Fire Statistics 2009-2010 (National Emergency Management Agency, Mongolia)

Statistical Data Mongolia Ulan Bator

Year 2009 2010 2009 2010

Population (Unit: thousand) 2,698 2,750 1,034 1,100

Area (ｋ㎡) 1,566,000 1,566,000 4,740 4,740

Total Number of Emergency Phone Calls 2,165 2,541 1,318 1,691

Fires 2,165 2,541 1,318 1,691

Ambulances 259 248 259 248

Rescue 260 248 260 248

Hazard Removal 260 248 260 248

Fires

Total Number of Fires

Structures 990 1,560 457 1,012

Vehicles 174 255 81 149

Forests 120 104 4 5

Ships － － － －

Airplanes － － － －

Others 1,001 726 780 530

Fire Causes

1st Electric Electric Electric Electric

2nd Open Fire Open Fire Open Fire Open Fire

3rd Stove Stove Stove Stove

4th Cigarette

match Cigarette

match Cigarette

match Cigarette

match

5th Children playing

Children playing

Children playing

Children playing

Fire Deaths 55 65 33 59

Fire Injuries 41 55 29 49

Firefighters‟ Deaths

Ambulance Runs

Total Number of Ambulance Runs 259 248 259 248

Acute Illnesses

Traffic Accidents 98 91 98 91

Others 162 157 162 157

Total Number of Hazard Removal

Your Organization

Number of Fire Personnel

Full- timers

Men 2,784 2,784 745 745

Women 339 342 85 88

Part- timers

Men

Women

Number of Fire Stations 42 45 12 13

Number of Branch Fire Stations

Number of Apparatus

Pumpers 148 151 28 28

Ladders 7 7 1 1

Squirts 2 2 1 1

Foam Trucks 2 2 2 2

Rescue Trucks (including scuba rescue trucks)

5 6 4 4

Ambulances 1 1 1 1

Fireboats

Helicopters

Fire Budget (Unit: million MNT) 30,834.1 29.244.3 4,771.5 4,510.8

(Unit: million USD)* 21.47 21.36 3.32 3.29

*1,435 Mongolian Togrog (MNT) =1.00 U.S.Dollar (USD)

9. On-going projects implemented by NEMA or International Organizations.

1. The project “Strengthening the Disaster Mitigation and Management System in Mongolia” has

been implemented by the national disaster management authority since 2002, and is currently in

its third phase. The overall project goal is to contribute to the sustainability of the country‟s

development gains by reducing risks and vulnerabilities through enhanced government capacity,

and wider partnerships with other sectors and regions.

The principal objective of the Phase III is to support the implementation of the long-term disaster

risk management strategy of Mongolia to minimize vulnerability, improve preparedness, enhance

institutional capacity for disaster management and emergency response, and assist in adapting to

climate change that adversely affects sustainable development of the country, especially those in

the rural environments. Within this objective, the project has the following three Outcomes:

Outcome 1: Professional capacities of the National Emergency Management Agency and

branches to respond to emergencies enhanced

Outcome 2: Increased awareness for disaster risk reduction through strengthened partnerships Outcome 3: National capacity for climate resilience and adaptation to reduce disaster risks strengthened 2. The project “Avian Influenza and Human Influenza Preparedness and Response” The Government of Mongolia developed and approved a National Strategy on avian influenza preparedness and response in 2007. The goal of the National Strategy is to limit outbreaks and spread of avian influenza, prevent human infection by the highly pathogenic virus, and to minimize the risks and threats to health and economy through improved international and inter-sector cooperation. Effective, well coordinated and interrelated activities at the social, economic, legal and levels are required to prevent or reduce the significant losses that could be caused by avian influenza outbreaks and a human influenza pandemic. World Bank carried out an assessment of the Mongolia‟s avian influenza preparedness and human pandemic prevention strategy in February 2007 and subsequently decided to provide financial and technical support in this direction and started the project “Avian Influenza and Human Influenza Preparedness and Response”. Project goal: Improve the capacity of avian influenza and human pandemic response in Mongolia. The following issues are to be addressed by the project: Improve the avian influenza outbreak and human influenza pandemic preparedness planning at the national and aimag (province) levels:

- Establish early warning system and surveillance system for avian influenza outbreak and human influenza pandemic

- Improve the capacity of avian influenza outbreak and human influenza pandemic prevention, diagnosis and treatment.

- Monitor and evaluate avian influenza outbreak and human influenza pandemic preparedness and response planning at the national and aimag (province) levels.

10. Budget Size on National Level

In the fiscal year 2011, the national budget for emergency management service was

approximately 40.6 billion tugriks (40 million USD). The budget was allocated to the fields of i)

scientific technology research ii) disaster prevention and preparedness iii) Renovation of the

equipments and facilities; and iv) Disaster recovery and rehabilitation.

11. ADRC Counterpart

Foreign Relation Division

National Emergency Management Agency

Government Regulatory Agency

Mailing address: Partizan‟s street-6, Sukhbaatar district, Ulaanbaatar city-210644, Mongolia E-mail address: nema_mongolia@yahoo.com, for.rel@nema.mn Telephone: +976-11-262416, +976-11-263567 Fax: +976-11-262416